November 3rd, 2024 (advance polls October 27th)
Advance polls for the election for School Commissioners of the English Montreal School Board will take place on Sunday October 27th (noon – 8pm) at Willingdon Senior Campus (4850 Avenue Coronation).
Election day is Sunday November 3 (10am – 8pm), at St. Monica’s School (6440 Rue de Terrebonne).
You will have the opportunity to vote for two different positions. One ballot is for the Commissioner in Ward 5. The other ballot is for the Chair.
As a parent with a child in a EMSB school, you are already registered to vote. You will receive a registration notice in the mail in the coming weeks, confirming dates, times and polling stations.
Why Should I Care?
School boards are the last body of governance that belongs to the English community. Together, we must ensure that they remain vibrant and representative for the benefit of the next generation of English-speaking Quebecers. The school system faces significant challenges both inside and outside the classroom, and this is an opportunity for the community to make its voice heard and help define priorities.
Our Ward 5 commissioner was instrumental in helping to secure the $6,729,000 investment needed for the Willingdon Junior Campus Renovations, which took place over the last 2 years (school yard, floor replacement, electrical and next summer’s interior paining).
In recent years, the EMSB has played a prominent role in legal battles against the Legault government on issues ranging from a ban on religious symbols for new teachers to regulations on the language that board officials are allowed to use in communication. The EMSB has been one of the only entities standing up to protect our rights, by fighting against Law 21, and Bills 40 and 96!
French School Boards have already been dismantled, and we’re fighting to maintain the English School Boards.
A strong voter turnout is needed on November 3 to show the Government how important our school boards are to us.
To check if you are registered to vote, use the EMSB tool:
- Enter your postcode and civic number and click the search button.
- Below, click the ‘Am I registered?’ tab, enter your birthdate, then click that search button.
You do not have to currently have a child at school in order to vote. Anyone can vote, so long as you are registered and fulfill the elegibility criteria on the elections website.
‘A Bit of History’, courtesy of the QFSHA Fall ’24 newsletter, pg 7.
